London Fashion Week closed its first day with a catwalk extravaganza from H&M, the Swedish retailer with a long-running footprint in the UK. The company staged its autumn/winter show to a 700-strong audience and featured about 70 models, signaling the brand’s continued pull on a major fashion stage. The event also leaned into a familiar storyline for the season: nepo babies filling key moments on the catwalk and in the front row.
Leading the charge was Lila Moss, 22, in a shiny red vinyl coat with a faux fur collar. Iris Law, 24, wore a red vinyl mini-skirt paired with an oversized jumper and a brown faux fur stole. Amelia Gray Hamlin, 24, Ned Sims, 19, and Romeo Beckham, 23, joined the cast, with Beckham making his London Fashion Week debut. The front row included Anais Gallagher, 25, and her brother Lennon, 26, who were accompanied by Izzy Richmond. Model Emily Ratajkowski and rapper Little Simz also attended the spectacle.
The show, styled by Katie Grand, spanned looks from Saturday-night partywear to the type of tailored office attire that might echo a Monday morning. Designers drew on 1990s Britpop influences that chime with London’s setting, pairing structured blazers with power shoulders with shirts and oversized ties. Fair Isle knits, faux leather blousons, and wide-leg trousers were among the items that punctuated the collection, which the brand said would be available online starting September 25, with a second drop planned for October 2.
Singer Lola Young, 24, closed the show with her platinum-selling single “Messy.” Young is the niece of children’s author Julia Donaldson, a detail that has fed into debates about the so-called nepo-baby phenomenon that has followed several London-born stars onto the runway. While some critics question the lineage, others note that her success remains rooted in her musical career rather than fashion alone. The broader lineup reflects a fashion calendar in which celebrity offspring increasingly share the stage with established labels, a dynamic that keeps headlines—and audiences—drawn to London Fashion Week.
Beyond the red-carpet energy and high-profile names, the collection’s mood signals a continued appetite for versatile pieces that can bridge party environments and workplace settings. The mix of glossy outerwear, bold color, and refined tailoring suggests a strategy aimed at wide consumer appeal while preserving the spectacle that audiences expect from major fashion events. As the week unfolds, observers will likely watch how other brands balance star power with substantive design in a season already defined by crossovers between fashion, music and media.